Published 9:50 pm, Friday, October 28, 2011

COLONIE -- The race for Colonie town supervisor is one of the most bitterly fought contests in the Capital Region this season, a no-holds-barred free-for-all filled with accusations of lying, misleading voters, political infighting and signs not just promoting the candidates but urging the dumping of the incumbent.

At the center of it are two women who come across in person as polite, professional and with a firm grasp on the issues facing the town. They are competing for a job that carries a $118,229 salary and a two-year term.

Incumbent Democrat Paula Mahan, a former teacher seeking her third term, has faced a firestorm of criticism over her decision to privatize the landfill's operation, bringing in a California company, Waste Connections, for a $23 million upfront payment, some money in the years ahead and added cash if the dump expands. She has been accused of trading the money to hide a hole in the budget.

Denise Sheehan, the Republican challenger, is a former state Department of Environmental Services commissioner and town planning director. She also worked with the state budget office and most recently led an environmental nonprofit. Very specific in her criticisms of Mahan, she is far less so in saying what she would do herself. She has promised to halt the landfill deal, balance the budget, eliminate the deficit, keep taxes low, cut jobs largely through attrition and avoid the use of one-shot revenue sources in the general fund, all at the same time.

They don't agree on much.

"We're doing very well considering what we are up against," Mahan, 60, said in describing the town's fiscal situation.

She says she saved a million dollars in next year's budget, and that growth in the property tax base through new housing and commercial development generated almost $32 million in new property value. The result is a half-percent cut in the tax rate for next year.

The landfill deal enables her to eliminate the $21.6 million deficit, which includes both general fund and landfill shortfalls, she said. It also enables the town to shift closing costs to the contractor.

"For the last four years, the tonnage has been going down," Mahan said. "We can't compete with some of the other tipping fees that are out there. The revenue is declining all because of the state of the industry."

She dismisses criticisms from Sheehan and Albany County Comptroller Mike Conners. While a Democrat, Conners has run for office as a Republican and often clashes with fellow Democrats.

"The opposition is politics," she said.

Sheehan disagrees, saying the landfill deal is a giveaway to a private company to shield budget shortfalls and Mahan is not being upfront about whether there is a deficit in 2011.

"With my background and familiarity, I've been concerned about decisions like the one-time tax, the landfill. They are short term and not creating an environment for long-term stability," she said.

With the landfill contract, she said, "the focus was on the big, upfront payment instead of a long-term source of revenue. I believe in the public's hands, it can still generate revenue."

She says the deal was handled in private, with the contract not made available for public review until it was signed.

When she took office, Mahan said, the budget was $79 million on paper but $91 million was spent. Her budget for 2012 is $82.3 million and includes a tax rate of $3.01 per $1,000 of assessed value, which she said is low compared to other Capital Region communities.

She has taken heat for a one-time tax she imposed shortly after taking office, which was supposed to cut the deficit but instead largely wound up paying day-to-day bills. She said she had to prevent the town from being placed under a state control board.

Sheehan said there is no question Mahan inherited serious financial problems from the former administration of Mary Brizzell, where Sheehan worked for 11 months. But she said the incumbent has made matters worse.

"I would have approached it from the perspective you've seen from Governor Cuomo, that we need to tighten our belts and work together," Sheehan said. "She didn't put in a hiring freeze. The town still provides unlimited sick leave."

Employees were given 9 percent raises over three years, she said.

Asked about the "Dump Mahan" signs placed by the Conservative Party that endorsed her, Sheehan demurs. "The signs are not mine, and they are not my style," she said, but she ducks when asked if she'd be able to seek their removal.

Asked how she can keep all her campaign promises on handling the town's finances, Sheehan talks about putting solar panels on town buildings, using renewable energy, reducing the number of department leaders and cooperating with other governments on items like snow plowing and road work. She said she cannot provide details because Mahan hasn't been clear about how large the deficit still is.

What she would bring, she said, is a different management style. "You establish what your problem is and you set your goals over time," she said.